Which is the Most Expensive Jean Michel Basquiat Artwork ?

In 1985, JeanMichelBasquiat was on the cover of The New York Times magazine, in a photograph which accompanied an article dedicated to the first African American artist to cause so much uproar on the art market. People went nuts for his raw, honest, edgy art, seemingly simple yet of a stunning visual impact based on Neo-Expressionism and Primitivism.

His unique views of the world, social issues, power structures and racism ooze with pure honesty and a strong will to use his voice in exploration of his thoughts and opinions. During his lifetime, but especially after his untimely death, the demand for a Jean Michel Basquiat artwork was quite high, and the prices for his paintings grew steadily.

Today, we can hardly ever talk about an auction where there was no Basquiat sold for a jaw-dropping amount of money, and in this article, we will review his 10 most expensive artworks, created in the early 1980s when Basquiat left SAMO on the street and moved into a painting studio to become a legend.

Scroll down to check out the most expensive Jean Michel Basquiat Artworks !

Untitled (Yellow Tar and Feathers), 1982

Sold for $23 million at Sotheby’s New York in 2014, Untitled (Yellow Tar and Feathers) represents one of Basquiat’s first mature works, complex in their imagery, but also painting techniques, as it is composed of joined wood panels covered in feathers, paper collage, crayons and his trademark acrylic. Along with Untitled (Black Tar and Feathers), the painting gave way to the artist’s more elaborate creative approach in choosing the support for his artworks.

Untitled (Black King Catch Scorpio), 1981

The 1981 Untitled (Black King Catch Scorpio) painting by Jean Michel Basquiat sees the figure of a fisherman proudly presenting his catch, a fish hanging at the end of his fishing stick. Filled with symbolism from his Haitian and Puerto Rican heritage, the work once again puts on display Basquiat’s vivid imagination, through the black and white skeleton of his “black king” and the colourful background which puts it in focus. The painting achieved $23,5 million at Christie’s New York in 2012.

Untitled (Diptych), 1982

This large-scale diptych, one more work created in the pivotal year of 1982, belongs to a series of double portraits, and it sees two mirrored figures set in an environment much lighter than Basquiat’s usually dark, consuming backgrounds. While the painting has no clear visual meaning, it does mark the artist’s entrance in the world of superstars, showing that his art will nevertheless remain as powerful as ever. The work was sold at Christie’s in London in 2013, for $25,7 million.

Untitled (Yellow Bone King), 1982

Although Basquiat’s Untitled (Yellow Bone King) stayed closer to its low estimate at Christie’s New York, selling for $26 million in 2013, it was described as one of the most important contemporary artworks of today and one of Jean Michel Basquiat’s most recognized pieces. A life-size painting, it shows a rather dramatic portrait of one of his “black kings”, skeletons, self portraits and childhood heroes, apparently oozing in fury through the depth of the colour red.

Untitled (Tar Tar Tar, Lead Lead Lead), 1981

The 1981 Untitled (Tar Tar Tar, Lead Lead Lead) painting depicts an alleged warrior, an intimidating figure holding a sword in a hectic battlefield. Inspired by Basquiat’s graffiti imagery, the work reflects on something that could be his personal triumph over something, a positive and impressive sentiment expressed through a series of scrabbles, brushstrokes, splashed paint and oilstick scrawls. The painting was sold in 2014 at Christie’s New York, for $31 million.

La Hara, 1981

At Christie’s in 2017, the 1981 La Hara was offered as part of the Post-War & Contemporary Evening Sale, straight from the collection of one Steve Cohen. Having appeared only once before in auction, nearly three decades ago, the painting became Basquiat’s fifth most expensive artwork. It is quite a personal piece, whose title plays on the Puerto Rican slang word for a policeman – “jara”, and in fact, it depicts a menacing white cop driving home.

The Field Next to the Other Road, 1981

Inspired by his trip to Italy, Jean Michel Basquiat created a rather unusual large-scale painting, entitled The Field Next to the Other Road. Soaked in pastel beige with the presence of his trademark red and black, it is one of his earliest works, a strong statement of his intentions as an artist and an overture to a type of character which will mark his entire career to come. It was sold at Christie’s New York in 2015, for $33 million, a little below the high estimate of $35 million.

Dustheads, 1982

Other than being Jean Michel Basquiat’s most expensive artwork, having achieved whopping $43,500,000 at Christie’s New York in 2013,Dustheads is also one of his most powerful paintings, in all its rawness and totemic supremacy. His two frenetic, radiant characters immersed in pitch black background are a true documentation of Basquiat’s original painting style, technique, skill, artistic vision. At this point, it is fair to say that Dustheads represents a beacon of an unprecedented expression of thoughts and a portrait of an inner being that brought Jean Michel Basquiat his international fame and ensured his place of one of the most significant painters in history of arts.

Untitled (Black Devil Head), 1982

Japanese collector and online fashion mogul Yusaku Maezawa was the star of the night at Sotheby’s in May 2015, as he purchased not one, but two of the now most expensive Jean-Michel Basquiat artworks. The 1982 Untitled (Black Devil Head) sold for $57.3 million. Maesawa also said he plans to put the painting on display at his museum in Chiba, Japan, after giving it to museums and exhibitions around the world for a loan.

Untitled, 1982

When it got sold for whopping $110.5 million ($98 million hammer price), Basquiat’s Untitled broke many records: it set a new high for a work by a United States artist and is the first work of art created since 1980 that went for more than $100 million. On the list of the most expensive artworks ever, it is now right behind When Will You Marry? by Paul Gauguin, which cost nearly $300 million back in 2015. Untitled is also now in the hands of Yusaku Maezawa, who was “struck with so much excitement and gratitude for my love of art.” He also acquired works by Jeff Koons and Richard Prince that same evening.